New Hampshire National Guard - Fall 2009 - Keep Trees

Understanding Afghanistan
“Where they at?” asked Kiernan quickly, trying to calm the
tribal elder long enough to understand what he was saying. The
squad had already begun to assume firing positions, clearing a
small shack nearby to prevent an ambush. A loud explosion
down the road interrupted Kiernan’s conversation.
“Man taking pictures!” shouted a soldier behind Kiernan.
A man wearing Afghan clothes stood watching from a nearby
building with a camera and a cell phone, observing the soldiers
as they reacted to the detonation. As Kiernan’s Bravo team, led
by Spc. Jason Nestor, began to clear the huts between the squad
and the Afghan observer, a shrill whistle filled the air.
Shouts of “Incoming!” erupted throughout the squad as
they dropped to the ground. The whistle gave way to an
ear-ringing blast as the artillery simulator detonated on the road.
Immediately after the explosion, the sound of small arms fire
broke out from the far side.
By the time Charlie Company arrives in Afghanistan, says
Charlesworth, “These guys are going to be very confident in
their ability to do this mission.”
To accomplish their mission, the soldiers of Charlie Company
must transition from trainees to trainers. They will embed with
Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police forces,
providing one-on-one counseling and guidance for their Afghan
counterparts.
“The mission is not necessarily ‘close with and destroy the
enemy,’” said McWilliams.
While in garrison, soldiers will spend the bulk of their day
with their Afghan counterparts. From breakfast and tea in the
morning until close of business, the Afghans will rely on the
soldiers’ training and expertise. Charlie Company soldiers will
help develop training, coach the Afghans through activities and
help solve problems.
During operations in the field, Charlie Company soldiers
will embed with the Afghans, providing ongoing support and
guidance as they accomplish missions together. The greatest
challenges, says Charlesworth, will be adjusting to the culture
and to the physical environment.
Afghanistan has higher elevations and harsher terrain than
Iraq. And unlike Iraq, Afghanistan has few paved roads and –
in many areas – no roads at all. The lack of infrastructure is
emblematic of deeper cultural contrasts. While the Iraqis had a
standing army and a sense of national unity, the Afghans have
been fighting a civil war since the former Soviet Union left
in 1989.
Loyalties are tribal and locally oriented, says McWilliams.
“Folks in Afghanistan know their valley, and that’s where
they stay.”
Mastering Counterinsurgency
“Sniper on that building!” shouted a soldier from Kiernan’s
Alpha team. The small arms fire had come from their 12 o’clock,
from a two-story building at the end of a long stretch of road.
“Go clear that building!” ordered Kiernan. As his Alpha
team began bounding up the road, Kiernan placed his remaining
men to provide overwatch for the forward element.
The rapid pop of 5.56mm blanks signaled the beginning of
Alpha team’s engagement with the enemy sniper. As Rogers’
team pushed through to clear the sniper from the building,
Kiernan heard a soldier from Bravo team shout, “Man down!”
Nestor had moved Bravo team to the building with the
Afghan observer. When they attempted to detain the observer,
the Afghan actor had grabbed a mock AK-47 and fired at the
Spc. Bernard Hudgens leads a search for insurgents in a mock Afghan village
at Camp Ethan Allen in Vermont. Photo: 2nd Lt. Andrew Schwab, NHNG-PA
team resulting in a simulated injury for one of Nestor’s soldiers.
As the remainder of Kiernan’s squad cleared the last
buildings, his radio telephone operator radioed for a medevac
to retrieve the injured solder. With the village secured, the
simulation ended.
Before they left Camp Ethan Allen, Charlie Company
soldiers completed training ranging from medical warrior tasks
and media awareness to crew-served weapons operation and
mounted land navigation. The range of tasks reflected the complexity
of counterinsurgency operations.
In the after-action review for Kiernan’s urban operations
training, Capt. George Rodriguez, an observer controller,
warned the squad saying, “Team leaders dictate foreign policy.”
He discussed with the squad how to handle the sanctity of
mosques during a conflict, and the need to put the pieces of an
event together to see the big picture.
The training is designed to get everyone working together as
a squad, said Sgt. 1st Class Sacha Gregoire, Charlie Company’s
training assessor. And they will need what they’ve learned when
the unit goes to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort
Polk, Louisiana, later this year.
JRTC will test the overall teamwork and professionalism of
the 3rd Battalion, serving as the culminating training exercise
before they deploy to Afghanistan. They will interact with
Afghan nationals while completing multi-day scenarios meant to
hammer home mastery of their collective tasks. ❖
Fall 2009 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine 3